1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery connector. The present invention specifically relates to a structure of a battery connector that electrically connects a positive electrode and a negative electrode that are adjacent to each other in a battery in which a battery cell such as a lithium-ion cell provided with a positive electrode and a negative electrode is laminated in a plate thickness direction.
2. Related Art
Recently, a battery, which is used as a module (a constituent unit) as a lithium-ion cell, has been employed in an electric vehicle that runs using an electric motor as a power generation source or in a hybrid vehicle that runs using an engine and an electric motor together. Furthermore, such a battery has been employed in a plug-in hybrid vehicle (an electric vehicle) that can be charged by way of a domestic power source.
For example, a battery cell such as a lithium-ion cell has a structure in which a pair of a positive electrode and a negative electrode formed by a thin plate tab terminal is made to project outwardly. Such a battery cell is multiply provided, and the orientations of the battery cells are alternately changed and arranged in a multi-column manner so that positive electrodes are adjacent to negative electrodes and these positive and negative electrodes are electrically connected to each other in series, thereby enabling to obtain a high-capacity battery.
Such a structure of the battery as described above is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H11-162445 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1). According to Patent Document 1, a battery box has a plurality of battery cells arranged in a multi-column manner therein and connects a positive electrode with a negative electrode adjacent with each other by a cable (an electrical cable) so as to configure a battery in which a plurality of battery cells are connected in series.
In regard to the structure of the battery in Patent Document 1, although not described explicitly in the specification, it can be inferred that it is necessary to wire a terminal of the cable by way of fixing by threads.
Generally, in such a battery, a band plate bus bar is interposed between a positive electrode and a negative electrode adjacent to each other and the battery is connected by tightening using a bolt or nut. That is, the positive electrode and the negative electrode are fastened by so-called connection by bolting.
Accordingly, a large amount of time would be spent on operations for connecting a plurality of battery cells. If it is possible to realize a battery connector that can connect a positive electrode with a negative electrode to each other so as to be easily detached, it will be easy to operate a connection of a plurality of battery cells, so that a degraded battery cell can be easily replaced with a healthy battery cell.
On the other hand, an electrode such as of a lithium-ion cell of recent years has become greatly reduced in plate thickness. Therefore, for the reason that this electrode is easily buckled or deformed, it is not easy to realize a battery connector that connects a positive electrode with a negative electrode adjacent to each other so as to be easily detached.